A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

After all the wind yesterday today has turned out to be nothing short of gorgeous! A clear blue sky, a gentle breeze, 72 degrees and a warm sun. Who could ask for more?

I unearthed another tray of tulips today. Mostly pink and purples with a singular red w/ orange. There wasn't as much soil from this batch. I'm guessing it's because they grew longer and used more. The 10 cents a pot was still a most excellent bargain!

After all the wind yesterday everything is severely dry. The shasta daisies (if they'll ever bloom) were laying flat to the ground and the plants Hazel gave me were looking more than a little stressed. Amazing how a single day of wind can dry everything out so thoroughly!

My versi color hibiscus has maximized its pot and not wanting to upgrade the size I've decided to plant it in the spot where 'Cleveland' use to live. (I was so hoping it would come back. My hope now lies in one of the many :-} unlabeled hibiscus cuttings will be from it.) Even in what I know has got to be a severely rootbound state it still has multiple blooms coming on.

The schizopetalus hibiscus I got from DonnaB are really struggling out in the yard. I think later today I'll move them into the hoophouse where they can be in a moist, cool and shady spot. Maybe they will be able to put on some growth there. The wonderful little blooms the one has given us I am afraid may be a signal it's trying to die.

Remembered to get out the bone meal today and dress all the bulbs. The jonquil in the long planter are slowly starting to bloom. I wish the 2 pots of Belladonna amaryllis looked more promising for this year. The 2 amaryllis I bought in SA with Margie are looking really healthy these days. Not sure they'll bloom this year, but the chances for next year are looking really good!

The tray of gladiolus are coming along, but the tray of tulips I got at Maldonado's are taking forever. Neither is any taller than 4" but I know it has got to be just a matter of time. 3 more of the lilies I got in aknapp's co-op are putting on blooms. I can hardly wait to see what colors I have this time!! The tray sitting next to them is showing lots of strap leaf foliage. In a way I wish I had marked what I put in there and in a way I'm glad I didn't. It's kind of like Christmas waiting to see what I'll get next.
;->

One of the varieties of hardy hibiscus seeds I have germinating had started to put on a set of true leaves, but when I looked at them this morning the leaves were all shriveled. The seed leaves are just fine though...

The hardy hibiscus plants are coming on like gang busters. They have lots of new roots in the bottom of their containers.
Although Lord Baltimore has no growth at all on the top side.

The 3 bat faced cuphea are showing they have overcome being divided by blooming up a storm. I'm going to bring one up to the back porch later today and see how well it fairs living outside the hoophouse. If it has the stamina of its cousins, the cigar plant and mexican heather, it'll do just fine. Hopefully I just brought it out too soon the last time.

Next Sat, Sun & Mon are the next good planting days. I am going to have get another bag of soil and dig out a bunch of 4" pots so I can transplant all the butterfly weed(x 3), candlestick, datura(x 4), hardy hibiscus(x 8), desert willow, jacaranda, lavendar and road ditch yucca that have sprouted. Yeah!

A white Bird of Paradise sprouted!!! I have been waiting for at least 2 months and one has finally come up! Now if if the orange BOP and Pride of Barbados would just follow its lead.... ;->

I sure wish I had a case of gal pots. The white and bi-color desert willows have outgrown their 4" pots, I think. I was hoping they would be much larger by now and all I can figure is they must need a deeper pot. Think I'll repot one of each and see if that does the trick. If so then I'll know for sure it's time to make a trip to Kinney Bonded Warehouse....

The 3 new azalea are taking off with 'Pink Ruffle' doubling in size in under a month! Funny, when we bought them, I didn't notice that 'Fashion's' leaves were so much smaller than the 2 'Ruffles'.

Well, enough for now. Gotta go over to Dave's and see what everyone's
up to. ;->